Four Tigers make NFL.com's first top NFL draft prospects ranking

Davis Allen is ranked as a top-50 NFL draft prospect by Daniel Jeremiah.

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Jan 31 14:00:07 GMT-04:00 2023

Four Clemson NFL draft prospects made the top-50 of NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's first prospect rankings on Tuesday.

That's led by defensive end Myles Murphy at No. 18 overall.

"Murphy is a tall, high-cut edge rusher with long arms," Jeremiah said. "At Clemson, he split his time between standing up on the edge and aligning in a four-point stance. He offers an explosive first step and likes to use his inside arm to initially jolt offensive tackles before separating and closing on the quarterback. He does stall out too often with his pure bull rush. He is stout at the point of attack in the run game, but needs to become a more consistent tackler. I love his motor and nonstop effort to chase plays from the back side. Overall, Murphy is ready to start right away and can provide value on all three downs."

Next up is Trenton Simpson at No. 30.

"Simpson is a tall, twitched-up, off-ball linebacker. He is excellent in man coverage," said Jeremiah. "He has the speed and agility to mirror tight ends all over the field. He isn’t as reliable when dropping into zone coverage; he is late to react, but his speed helps cover it up most of the time. He is an excellent blitzer and closes in a hurry. Also, Simpson is effective when spying the quarterback. Once he decides to go, he’s a blur."

Jeremiah is lower on former No. 1 overall 2020 recruit Bryan Bresee, at No. 43.

"He looked gassed at times this past season, which was likely the result of high snap counts while still recovering from injury. Overall, Bresee flashes on tape, but he needs to be more consistent," said Jeremiah.

Rounding out the Clemson reps is tight end Davis Allen, at No. 50.

"A tall, rangy tight end with a big catch radius, Allen was a pleasant surprise on tape," Jeremiah said. "He is a smooth, easy mover who understands how to set up defenders as a route runner. He creates separation and is a natural catcher. He always frames the ball beautifully away from his body. He can really climb the ladder to make plays above the rim. He has burst after the catch and flashes the ability to break tackles. A wall-off/shield blocker in the run game, he gets in the way and shows effort. Overall, Allen has tremendous upside and is an underappreciated weapon in this position group."

Pro Football Focus' latest mock draft this week with Murphy going 15th overall to Green Bay, Simpson to Denver at No. 30 and Bresee going to the Chiefs at No. 31.

Allen and KJ Henry are competing at this week's Senior Bowl festivities in Mobile, Alabama.